Defence lawyers 'give up' on suspect in Paris attacks

The two lawyers for the main suspect in the Paris attacks have "given up" defending him, citing Salah Abdeslam's refusal to answer questions about the November massacre.

"We both decided to give up his defence," lawyer Frank Berton said in an interview with France's BFM TV. 

"We don't think that he will speak, and he will use the right to remain silent. Given our position, what are we supposed to do? We said from the beginning... that if our client remained silent we would quit his defence," he added.

Staying silent

Abdeslam has refused to answer questions since being transferred to France from Belgium in April. 

Berton said he had seen his client around 10 times and had regularly spoken to him on the phone.

He said the 27-year-old Belgian-born French national had written to the authorities to tell them he no longer wanted representation.

Mary, his Belgian counsel, said he had felt as if his role was just to "pay social visits to the prison".

Abdeslam has protested at the round-the-clock CCTV surveillance of his jail cell in Fleury-Merogis prison, south of Paris, where he is being held in solitary confinement.

The CCTV surveillance was the "clear" reason why he was tightlipped, said Berton.

"Authorisation for the surveillance is valid for three months and the minister of justice is going to decide shortly on whether to renew it," Berton said.

"I sense that he (Abdeslam) will contest this as well."

Abdeslam is believed to be the logistics coordinator of the attacks and revealed his plans to carry out a suicide attack at the Stad de France stadium before backing out.

Abdeslam is the sole surviving member of the group behind the 13 November carnage at a Paris concert hall, bars and the national stadium that left 130 people dead and scores injured.

On edge

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the atrocity, one of a string of attacks claimed by the militants that have put Europe on edge.

The 26-year-old was arrested in Brussels when security forces closed in on him after four months on the run as Europe's most wanted man.

The dramatic operation entailed a shoot-out at an apartment in Molenbeek near central Brussels and ended with the fugitive being shot and arrested.

Belgium's asylum and migration minister, Theo Francken, confirmed the arrest in a blunt tweet.

"We got him," the Belgian posted.

Abdeslam is believed to be the logistics coordinator of the attacks and revealed his plans to carry out a suicide attack at the Stad de France stadium before backing out.

The assailant fled the scene in Paris after dropping off the militants who went on to carry out the attacks. He was then thought to have been driven to Brussels, passing at least three police checkpoints on the way without being caught.

Four days after the arrest, the Belgian capital was hit with bombings by militants with links to the Paris attacks cell.

Abdeslam allegedly told his brother he was willing to cooperate with investigators, but denied any role in the Brussels bombings.

He was transferred to France to face terror charges on 27 April.

Abdeslam drove the three suicide bombers who blew themselves up outside the Stade de France to the stadium and then roamed the city before fleeing to Belgium the next day.

He told investigators there he had also wanted to blow himself up at the Stade de France but had changed his mind.